Canadian Sponsorship of Refugees Program Reform

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Canadian Sponsorship of Refugees Program Reform Sarah Emily Voegeli 6707147 Canadian Sponsorship of Refugees Program Reform A Limit on Canadians’ Generosity Major Research Paper (API6999) presented to Dr. Patti Tamara Lenard (Supervisor) and to the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs Graduate School of Public and International Affairs University of Ottawa June 2014 Canadian Sponsorship of Refugees Program Reform 2014 “Today, as yesterday, a nation is judged by its attitude towards refugees.” - Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate1 1Galloway, G. (2012, July 7). Nobel laureate joins Toronto rabbi group in condemning refugee health cuts. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 14, 2014, from [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/nobel- laureate-joins-toronto-rabbi-group-in-condemning-refugee-health-cuts/article4397274/]. 1 | P a g e Canadian Sponsorship of Refugees Program Reform 2014 Abstract This paper will analyze how the recent changes, since 2010, to the private sponsorship of refugees (PSR) program in Canada impact its ability to meet the goals set for the program in 1978. The first section includes a description of the foundational aspects of the private refugee sponsorship landscape in Canada; namely the original purpose of the PSR program as it was defined in 1978, the requirements involved to become a private sponsor, as well as the underlying principles of additionality and diversity inherent to the system. The second section details a full historical account of the evolution of the PSR system, including the identification of the number of refugees who have come to Canada through PSR from 1979 until 2012. The third section identifies the structural changes to PSR which came about through the most recent Government reforms beginning in 2010, the Government rationale for the most drastic reforms, as well as the potential implications these changes will have on the future of private sponsorship in Canada. The fourth and final section proposes a set of recommendations to re-align the PSR system with the goals, objectives, and principles set out in 1978. These recommendations, including the establishment of a National Refugee Sponsorship Organization and Refugee Family Reunification Program, serve to address some of the major challenges evident in the PSR system today and suggest practical steps forward to better serve the needs of all stakeholders involved in the Canadian private sponsorship system. 2 | P a g e Canadian Sponsorship of Refugees Program Reform 2014 Acronyms BVORP Blended Visa Office Referred Program CEIC Canada Employment and Immigration Commission CIC Citizenship and Immigration Canada CLWR Canadian Lutheran World Relief CS Community Sponsor EIC Employment and Immigration Canada GAR Government-Assisted Refugee G5 Group of Five IFHP Interim Federal Health Program IRPA Immigration and Refugee Protection Act IRPR Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations JASP Joint Assistance Sponsorship Program JIAS Jewish Immigrant Aid Services LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender MCCC Mennonite Central Committee Canada PSR Private Sponsorship of Refugees RAP Resettlement Assistance Program SAH Sponsorship Agreement Holder UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 3 | P a g e Canadian Sponsorship of Refugees Program Reform 2014 Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................. 6 Section I: Foundations of Private Refugee Sponsorship in Canada .. 9 I.I Refugee Definitions .......................................................................................... 9 I.I.I Convention Refugees.......................................................................................................10 I.II Canadian Refugee Resettlement Landscape ............................................. 11 I.II.I Government Assisted Refugees .................................................................................11 I.II.II Private Sponsorship of Refugees ..............................................................................12 I.II.II.I Original Purpose of PSR ....................................................................................13 I.II.II.II Who May Sponsor ............................................................................................14 I.II.II.III Underling Principles of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees System ............16 I.II.II.III.I Additionality ......................................................................................16 I.II.II.III.II Diversity ...........................................................................................17 Section II: Evolution of the PSR System in Canada: 1979-2010 ..... 18 II.I 1979-1980: The Indo-Chinese Case ............................................................ 18 II.II 1981-1989: The Iranian Baha’i Refugee Program .................................. 23 II.III 1988: Women at Risk Program ............................................................... 25 II.IV 1989 – 1994: Comprehensive Review of PSR ......................................... 26 II.V 1997: Introduction of the Sponsorship Agreement ................................. 27 II.VI 1998: Introduction of the Humanitarian Designated Classes ............... 29 II.VII 2002: The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act ........................... 30 II.VIII 2004: Introduction of the Joint Assistance Sponsorship Program .... 31 II.IX 2005 – 2010: Canadian PSR Landscape ................................................. 32 Section III: Structural Changes to PSR 2010-2014 ........................... 33 III.I Caps on Private Sponsorship Applications .............................................. 34 III.I.I Regulatory Amendments to G5 and CS Applications ..............................................35 III.I.II Government Rationale ............................................................................................36 III.I.III Implications for PSR .............................................................................................38 4 | P a g e Canadian Sponsorship of Refugees Program Reform 2014 III.II Elimination of the Source Country Class ............................................... 40 III.II.I Government Rationale ............................................................................................40 III.II.II Implications for PSR .............................................................................................42 III.III Reorientation of Settlement Programs .................................................. 42 III.III.I Government Rationale ...........................................................................................43 III.III.II Implications for PSR ............................................................................................44 III.IV Introduction of the Blended Visa Office Referred Program ............... 45 III.IV.I Government Rationale ...........................................................................................46 III.IV.II Implications for PSR ............................................................................................46 Section IV: The Way Forward ............................................................. 48 IV.I Challenge I: System Inefficiencies and Backlogs .................................... 49 IV.I.I Solution I: Realigning Needs and Resettlement Programs ......................................51 IV.I.II Solution II: National Refugee Sponsorship Organization ......................................53 IV.II Challenge II: Overrepresentation of Family Reunification Cases ....... 55 IV.II.I Solution III: Development of a Refugee Family Reunification Program ...............57 IV.II.II Solution IV: Development of a National Refugee Sponsorship Insurance Fund ..57 Section V: Conclusions .......................................................................... 58 Annex I ................................................................................................................... 62 Annex II................................................................................................................... 63 Bibliography .......................................................................................................... 65 5 | P a g e Canadian Sponsorship of Refugees Program Reform 2014 Introduction As a nation of immigrants, Canada has a rich history coloured with stories of settlement from every country of the world. While many of these stories begin with a yearning to access all that Canada has to offer, many still involve a need to escape, as refugees, from environments rife with persecution and hardship. Over this long history of immigration and refugee resettlement the private sponsorship of refugees program has acted as an important tool for Canada and Canadians in their efforts as responders to refugee crises all over the world. The long tradition of refugee resettlement in Canada has been enhanced through the creation of the private sponsorship scheme in 1978. Since its inception private sponsorship has acted as a flexible tool capable of adapting to large and small-scale refugee needs so that tens of thousands of refugees have, and continue, to find durable solutions in Canada. The program has not only expanded Canada's resettlement capacity but has also become engrained in the personal experience of Canadians as they interact with refugees. Private sponsorship provides an avenue through which the Canadian public can act on a desire to provide direct financial and personal assistance to some of the most vulnerable
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